|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
14.04.2008
Art Grand Prix - First meeting of the F3 Euroseries Championship ART GRAND PRIX – HOCKENHEIM, APRIL 11-13, 2008 The F3 Euroseries got underway at the Hockenheim circuit last weekend and the ART GP team drew first blood when Nico Hülkenberg scored the first pole position of the season with teammates Jules Bianchi and Jon Lancaster also making it into the top six. Unfortunately, Lancaster’s first race was over before it really had a chance to get started with a heavy crash that saw his contender barrel roll after clipping the rear wheel of Jean-Karl and going into the gravel. Due to a sore knee sustained in the crash, Jon sat race two out. Due to the safety car conditions after Jon’s crash, Nico Hulkenberg blew his engine. Jules Bianchi was in P3 when Mortara hit him at the hairpin. This lead to a puncture and he was forced to return to the pits. Hulkenberg had an engine change for race two and started last on the grid but despite a good fightback, an upright problem put an end to his race while finished thirteenth.
Nico Hülkenberg: "Qualifying was very exciting on a drying track. I did a pretty good lap with rain tyres and was happy to secure the first pole position of the year. The first race was very good until the safety car where my engine blew. It was a shame because we had the pace, we were P1 and I’m sure the win was within our grasp. We obviously changed the engine for the 2nd race, I got a 10 position penalty and ended up dead last on the starting grid. I gained some positions and was having fun when the rear wheel came loose because of a problem around the upright. It’s too bad because it was my home race, I live a few kilometres from Hockenheim which is one of my favourite tracks. But we have a good package, the team is, as always, at the top of its game and I’m sure we will deliver if we continue to push." Jules Bianchi: "The weekend started rather well with a 5th place in qualifying. I was P2 in race one thanks to a great start; then I lost a position and Mortara hit me at the hairpin. I had to go back to the pits to change a punctured tyre. On Sunday I was P22 at the start and ended up P13. My first F3 Euro Series weekend was rather positive although I did make a few small mistakes that I’ll have to avoid next time. The F3 Euro Series is very different to Formula Renault and you need a little time to adapt and to get some experience to be at your top. Above all you have to be sure you’re not far away in race one because with the starting grid system and the fact that it is difficult to be close to another car and overtake, your weekend can easily be ruined."
Jon Lancaster: "The race started okay, made a place in the start, but after a while, it became difficult due to a little bit of oversteering, and I was having to defend a little bit. Then there was the crash… It was a strange one because Vernay looked like he missed it quite early, he wasn’t even approaching the braking point. I was just waiting to see if he was going to move to get past, but he didn’t move. And I went over the back of him. We were fast in qualifying, we could have been P2, but I got held up on the last lap, lost seven tenths. It was good, to be strong straight away, and it was quite good for me. My knee’s a little bit stiff, but that’s the least of my worries really."
Frederic Vasseur: "The result in itself is catastrophic but you have to keep three things in mind from Hockenheim: 1) Our pace was good, 2) The atmosphere is excellent within the team which welcome three new drivers, 3) Our four drivers are positive and upbeat despite all the problems we had this weekend. That’s also why we love the victory and I hope our first one will be at Mugello."
- Sandrine FOIX- photo ITR
Author: maggy (admin2)
Last modified: Monday, 14.04.2008 - 03:45 More reports from this category all copyright automobilsport.com.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |